‘Hollywood – The Skeletons Are Out’ – a sampling

October 19, 2016 Alan Royle 0

  My latest book is titled Hollywood: The Skeletons Are Out. It contains 1,200 direct quotes by actors and directors about themselves, their colleagues and their films. Here is a random two dozen of them:   Young Joan Collins When Joan Collins was asked if she was ever unfaithful, she […]

The making of the first Bond film – ‘Dr No’ (1962)

August 12, 2016 Alan Royle 8

  In 1961 author Ian Fleming sold a six-month option to all his James Bond novels and short stories (those already penned and future ones), with the exception of Casino Royale, which he had previously sold, to entrepreneur Harry Saltzman. Harry formed Eon Productions with Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli, and […]

Feminine allure in the movies – 50 of the best

July 13, 2016 Alan Royle 4

  These days if a man mentions that a woman looks ‘hot’ or ‘desirable’, he runs a very good chance of being labeled a ‘sexist’ by that annoying, nameless bunch that take it upon themselves to decide for the rest of us what is politically correct and what is not. […]

The exquisite Grace Kelly.

March 13, 2016 admin 19

  Fans of Grace Kelly (and I am one of them, believe it or not) are probably going to jump up and down if they read this, and accuse me of ‘muck-raking’ or, at best, sensationalising her track record (or should I say ‘sack’ record) with members of the opposite […]

My Top 10 screen beauties.

February 3, 2016 admin 7

        Of course, everyone’s idea of what constitutes real beauty varies. I guess that is why we have so many pretty girls walking about with tattoos and bolts through their noses; why a large portion of the male population shave their heads or prefer to go unshaven […]

William Holden – His Life and his Loves

January 23, 2016 admin 20

      Holden in Escape From Fort Bravo (1953) William Holden featured in a lot of very good movies during his career. Women adored him, even men grudgingly conceded that he was both rugged and charming, certainly no milk sop. Unfortunately, he was also an alcoholic, from his teens until the […]

Did you know? Points of interest Pt. 24.

November 11, 2015 admin 9

  Yesterday I stole 203 minutes out of the remainder of my life and watched the Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson and Jimmy Dean 1956 blockbuster Giant. I have certainly seen worse movies, but two hundred and three minutes! I found Rock and Liz to be far better than I expected, […]

Did you know? Points of interest Pt. 21.

November 5, 2015 admin 2

  The 1955 Rodgers & Hammerstein hit musical Oklahoma! was actually shot in Arizona! The songs are every bit as good as those in South Pacific, in my opinion, but the movie contains an overlong dance sequence that is, frankly, boring in the extreme. Surprisingly, Rod Steiger does his own […]

JOHN WAYNE – The man and the myth.

October 14, 2015 admin 8

  A lot has been written about John Wayne and his early days as an actor in ‘B’ westerns during the 1930s, although even he thought ‘B-Grade’ was rather over-generous description. ‘Hell, they were a lot farther down the alphabet than that’, he recalled. And they were, too. Rock bottom in […]

SPENCER TRACY – A nightmare of a man.

August 6, 2015 admin 41

  As an actor Spencer Tracy had few peers and cinema-goers adored him. Off screen he was a very ordinary human being, a man beset with all kinds of problems. He was a violent alcoholic his entire life and a rampant womanizer who had almost as many conquests to his […]